Asisat Oshoala scored four times as Nigeria reached the final with a thumping 6-2 victory over Korea DPR in the highest-scoring semi-final ever seen at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. Oshoala also laid on two more goals in a win that leaves the Super Falconets to face either France or Germany on Sunday at Montreal’s Olympic Stadium, and the North Koreans to play for third place at the same venue.

Nigeria have had a tendency to score quick goals during their time at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Canada 2014, and Courtney Dike continued that trend with a goal barely more than a minute after kick-off. Oshoala set the tone by setting it up, releasing Dike in behind Korea DPR’s captain Choe Sol-Gyong before the No8 expertly picked her spot just inside the far post. At the half-way point of the first period, Oshoala doubled Nigeria’s lead, capitalising on a poor touch from centre-half Song Kyong-Hui before rounding the keeper and passing into an open goal.

Less than ten minutes later, Ri Un-Sim – arguably the North Koreans’ most dangerous attacker throughout the tournament – pulled one back with a great bit of individual skill after receiving a long ball from midfield. Ri beat two defenders on the cutback and finished past Sandra Chiichii with a powerful shot into the top corner. From there, Korea DPR looked inspired in search of an equaliser but the score remained 2-1 at half-time before Nigeria swiftly put the game out of reach within minutes of the restart.

In similar fashion to her appearance and goal in the quarter-finals against New Zealand, Uchechi Sunday came on as a substitute and within a minute scored to restore her team’s two-goal lead. Oshoala then put the game out of reach on the hour mark when she hit a stunning shot from 20 yards out that left Kim with no chance as it flew into the top corner.

Korea DPR had one last glimmer of hope two minutes later when Ugo Njoku handled the ball in her own area, allowing Jon So-Yon to score from the penalty spot. However, Oshoala’s quality shone through yet again in the 68th minute when she completed her hat-trick, beating Song and winning a foot race with Kim to once more fire into an empty net.

Nigeria were not finished there, though, and with five minutes from time the No4 matched the number on her jersey. The goal came as a result of another North Korean defensive miscue less than six yards from goal, resulting in a simple tap-in.

Oshoala had taken the wind out of the Korean sails far earlier in the match and when the final whistle sounded, her Nigerian team-mates surrounded her in celebration, while Hwang Yong-Bong’s side trudged off disconsolately.

There are no statistics to prove it, but footballing folklore holds that players who take the term ‘run-up’ literally and sprint up to the ball in a penalty shoot-out are nervous and therefore less likely to score. All four USA takers against Korea DPR trotted up and three went on to miss.

This time round, however, there should be no talk of curses or bottling it. Simply put, the talent of Korea DPR goalkeeper Kim Chol-Ok made the difference. Savannah Jordan, Lindsey Horan and Rose Lavelle all hit the target from 12 yards, but Kim stood tall and came into her own to dump the holders out at the quarter-final stage of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Canada 2014 and send the 2006 champions into the last four.

“Maybe they rushed their kicks, but to be totally honest I don’t think I was even paying attention to who was taking each penalty and how they prepared,” the shoot-out hero told FIFA.com. “I was concentrating so hard that all I could see was the ball and that approach worked a treat.”

When the scores finished level after 120 minutes, the shot-stopper was far from nervous. While the takers on both sides will have had butterflies in their stomachs as they approached the spot, Kim was in her element.

“Honestly, I love penalties!” she confessed, a broad beam on her face. “They are the perfect stage for a keeper. You have nothing to lose and you hold all the cards to show what you’re made of. I was full of confidence; I was extremely focused going in and that stood me in really good stead.”

Big inspiration
In the first shoot-out of her international career, the April 25 SC custodian produced a masterclass and seized the Player of the Match accolade with both hands in the process. As she spoke to us after the game, she had the framed certificate tucked firmly under her arm and each and every one of her team-mates came over to congratulate her, flashing her a smile or cracking a joke en route to the team bus.

All were eager to sneak a peek at the award, which Kim plans to use as personal inspiration in the future: “I’m going to treasure it and give it pride of place on the wall at home so that every time I look at it, all the great memories will come flooding back,” enthused the 19-year-old, clutching it even tighter.

Speaking of inspiration, the youngster’s knowledge of the goalkeeping greats is clearly as wide as her reach between the sticks. Asked about her idol, she batted away the names of Iker Casillas, Gianluigi Buffon, Manuel Neuer and Hope Solo. “I’ve always admired Lev Yashin,” she revealed, despite the former Soviet Union legend having retired over 40 years ago and died four years before she was born.

“Obviously I never saw him play in the flesh, but he’s someone that every goalie should know,” she went on. “Even so many years after the end of his career, he’s an example for me to follow.”

The Moscow-born icon would certainly have identified with the North Korean’s match-winning performance against USA. Yashin is believed to have stopped over 150 penalties over the course of his career, while in a single game Kim can now add three to her own personal tally.

Pyongyang, August 8 (KCNA) — Football fans of the DPRK are very pleased by the news that the DPRK defeated Finland by 2:1 in the first league match of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup 2014.
Yun Chol Nam, a workshop head of the Pyongyang Electric Cable Factory 326, said:
The DPRK girls played a good game in the first match, and it pleases all employees of my workshop.
Han Yong Suk, a Pyongyang citizen, said:
It is praiseworthy that the DPRK girls won the first victory in the U-20 women’s world cup.
Eight years ago, the DPRK girls took the title in the U-20 Women’s World Cup 2006, thus promoting the country to the first Asian winner of the World Cup. I hope that the DPRK team would prove successful in the matches.
The DPRK team includes 14 players, who played an active role in the U-17 Women’s World Cup 2012.
The FIFA website selected Ri Un Sim as one of best players in the current world cup for scoring 8 goals in the six matches of the U-17 Women’s World Cup 2012.